Editing Pompey (section)

==Early life and career==
[[File:PompeoMagno.jpg|thumb|upright=0.8|left|Reputed statue of Pompey, now held at the [[Villa Arconati, Bollate]], brought from Rome in 1627 by Galeazzo Arconati]]

Pompey was born in [[Picenum]] on 29 September 106 BC, eldest son of a provincial noble called [[Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo]]. Although the dominant [[Pompeia gens|family]] in Picenum, Strabo was the first of his branch to achieve senatorial status in [[Rome]]; he completed the traditional ''[[cursus honorum]]'', becoming [[Roman Consul|consul]] in 89 BC, and acquired a reputation for greed, political duplicity, and military ruthlessness. Pompey began his career serving with his father in the [[Social War (91–87 BC)]].{{sfn|Leach|1978|p=13}}

Strabo died in 87 BC during the short-lived civil war known as the {{Lang|la|[[Bellum Octavianum]]}}, although sources differ on whether he succumbed to disease, or was murdered by his own soldiers.{{sfn|Collins|1953|p=98}} Prior to his death, Strabo was accused of [[embezzlement]]; as his legal heir, Pompey was held responsible for the alleged crime and put on trial.{{sfn|Beesley|1892|pp=167–170}} He was acquitted, supposedly after agreeing to marry the [[Publius Antistius|judge's]] daughter, [[Antistia (wife of Pompey)|Antistia]].{{sfn|Collins|1953|p=100}}

One of the main issues at stake in 87 BC was the appointment of the [[Roman Consul|consul]] [[Lucius Cornelius Sulla]] as commander of the Roman army in the ongoing [[First Mithridatic War]], an opportunity to amass enormous wealth.{{sfn|Beard|2015|pp=241–242}} During his absence in the East, his political rivals led by [[Lucius Cornelius Cinna]], [[Gnaeus Papirius Carbo (consul 85 BC)|Gnaeus Papirius Carbo]] and [[Gaius Marius the Younger]] regained control of the [[Roman Senate]].{{sfn|Boak|1921|pp=145–146}} Sulla's return in 83 BC sparked [[Sulla's civil war|a civil war]] within the Roman world.{{sfn|Beard|2015|p=272}}